A New Affordable Housing Project Opens

San Diego Metropolitan MagazineJanuary 28, 2010

Wakeland Housing and Development Corp. and the city of San Diego celebrate the opening today of Parkside, a new affordable housing communiy in Downtown’s East Village. The 77-unit rental project shares its parcel of land with the recently rebuilt East Village Community Church. Wakeland purchased the land for Parkside from the church. With that money, the church tore down its existing facility and built a new one using the same architects as Parkside. With the sale complete between Wakeland and the church, the Centre City Development Corp., working on behalf of the city Redevelopment Agency, was able to help fund Parkside with roughly $13.8 million and fulfill one of its missions to provide more affordable housing units Downtown. No public funds were used build the church.

The units at Parkside consist of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts to accommodate the needs of working professionals, seniors and families. According to CCDC, only 10 percent of total Downtown affordable housing units (including Parkside) are available in sizes large enough for families. Parkside provides homes for individuals and families that earn 50 percent to 60 percent of Area Median Income. Rents at Parkside range from $647 to $1,107 per month, depending on level of income. The project is designed to receive LEED Silver designation.​Other major funders for Parkside include Wells Fargo Bank, Red Capital Group, San Diego Housing Authority and California Community Reinvestment Corp. Wakeland’s development partners for Parkside included Harper Construction, Benson & Bohl Architects and green consultant Global Green USA.